?Don't tell Brenda from Bristol
?Oct 27 snap gen election floated by @BorisJohnson allies

Why?
?'Wedge week' – NIProtocol, Rwanda, rail row – seen as success
??Avoids Privileges Cttee, Covid Inquiry, 1922 confidence vote#WaughOnPolitics in yr inboxhttps://t.co/9TpRQPAPQ3

— Paul Waugh (@paulwaugh) June 17, 2022

Ever since it is appeared likely Boris Johnson would face a leadership contest there have been rumours that to reassert his authority Boris Johnson may hold a snap election. I have dismissed such talk as more full of bollocks than a jockstrap because I don’t think the Tory party is in a financial position to fund a general election, the chance of Boris Johnson losing his seat isn’t negligible, and the state and direction of the economy would stop an autumn election.

However I get the feeling Boris Johnson might actually try such a thing and the cabinet of no marks and pygmies who make up the current cabinet will acquiesce and by the time the parliamentary Conservative party has organised to stop the PM it will be too late.

If Boris Johnson calls that snap general election he might not be facing Starmer as today’s Sunday Times is reporting that

Sir Keir Starmer is planning for his own succession and has told candidates vying to replace him to be ready to fight for the leadership if he is forced to quit over claims that he broke Covid rules.

The Labour leader has told allies he wants plans in place to ensure that his work rebuilding the party will not be at risk if he is suddenly forced to resign. He has promised to quit if Durham police find he broke lockdown rules when he had beer and curry with staff after a day campaigning in the local elections on April 30 last year.

He told friends: “I will not let this party become a basket case again. I will not let our hard-won gains be squandered so we will need to be ready in the unlikely event that the worst comes to the worst.”

It is understood he has since met a number of members of his shadow cabinet with leadership ambitions and has urged them to put campaign teams in place.

Wes Streeting and Lisa Nandy have made no secret of their ambitions and are believed to be among the candidates to have received Starmer’s endorsement.

Wes Streeting and Lisa Nandy are 75/1 and 80/1 respectively to be next PM over on Betfair and both are worth punts because I suspect even if Boris Johnson and the Tories win the popular vote and most seats they’ll still be well short of being able to form a government which given the circumstances makes me happy with my betting strategy on Streeting and Nandy.

I know in recent days Streeting past tweets have confirmed David Cameron’s maxim about Twitter but I don’t think they’ll be damaging to him given the context and the timeframe.

TSE